Playing in the Abe Lincoln Softball Classic at Larue County High School, in Hodgenville, the Cougar softball team picked up a pair of lopsided, run-rule wins Saturday afternoon.
In the first game, the Cougars pounded out 16 hits as they defeated the Cumberland County Panthers 17-2 in four innings. In the second game, Grayson County defeated the Valley Vikings, out of Louisville, 14-1 in five innings.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
The Cougars put their stamp on the game in the first inning as they sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven times. Kenzie Renfrow had two hits in the inning, scoring once and driving in a run with a two-out double. Others driving in runs in the inning included Maddie Duvall, Rachael Snyder, Gracie Franklin, and Jenna Nash.
Grayson County added four more runs in the second inning, including a three-run home run by third-baseman Lindsay O’Neal.
The Cougars scored a pair of runs after two were out in the third inning. Mikayla Clark singled and Duvall walked before Bailey Snyder ripped a double to the fence, scoring both runners to make it 13-0.
The Panthers put together three singles, a walk and a fielder’s choice to plate their two runs in the top of the fourth inning against Cougar starter and winner, Embry Thorpe. Thorpe gave up five hits on the day and struck out nine Panthers in four innings.
The mercy rule states that you win a game if you are leading by 10 runs after five innings. It also says you win after three innings if you lead by 15 runs. The Cougars scored four times in the bottom of the fourth to take a 15-run lead and end the game. Rachael Snyder walked with the bases loaded to plate the deciding run.
Catcher Bailey Snyder had a big game for the Cougars, going 3-for-4 and driving in four runs. Her sister, Rachael, drove in a pair of runs as did Nash with a double and a single.
VALLEY
The Cougars were the visiting team in this game and wasted no time in jumping out to a big lead, batting around in the first inning and scoring five times. Bailey Snyder and O’Neal had RBIs before Rachael Snyder’s bases loaded double brought in three more.
The Cougars made it 7-0 with two more runs in the second inning. Kenzie Renfrow singled leading off and scored on an Emily Akins triple. Mikayla Clark followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Akins.
The Vikings scored their only run of the game against Clark in the second inning after two were out. A walk, a wild pitch, and a bloop single to right accounted for the run. Clark went five innings for the Cougars, scattering eight hits and striking out three.
The Cougars sent 10 batters to the plate in a five-run third inning that made it 13-1. Seniors Mallory Akins and Shelbi Fisher both had RBIs in the inning.
Clark aided her own cause in the top of the fifth, picking on a 1-1 pitch and driving it into the netting behind the right-field fence for a two-run home run, plating Emily Akins ahead of her, who had reached on an error.
That made it 14-1 and brought the Vikings up for what would be their final at-bats. Clark quickly got two outs, bringing up Serena Brumback. The Viking catcher took the first pitch for a ball before rocketing a line drive back through the box, which Clark snapped out of the air for the final out as the Cougar crowd whooped and hollered.
With the wins, the Cougars improve to 12-8 for the season.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
Bailey Snyder had three hits and drove in four runs against
Cumberland County, including this two-run, third -inning double.
Mikayla Clark crosses the plate as Maddie
Duvall rounds third and heads for home against
Cumberland County. Both runners scored on a Bailey Snyder double.
